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GE’S NEW LIGHTWEIGHT, FR COMPOSITE FOR ENHANCED PERFORMANCE & SAFETY OF RAILWAY INTERIORS TO USE SCHNELLER DECORATIVE LAMINATE
05 April 2005 - GE Advanced Materials
| GE Advanced Materials has selected Schneller Inc., a leading manufacturer of engineered decorative laminates, to co-develop new grades of Indura GTform decorative laminate for interior rail applications formed with a AZDEL Rail-Lite composite from AZDEL, Inc., a 50/50 joint venture of General Electric Company and PPG Industries. |
GE Advanced Materials has selected Schneller Inc., a leading manufacturer of engineered decorative laminates, to co-develop new grades of Indura GTform decorative laminate for interior rail applications formed with a AZDEL Rail-Lite composite from AZDEL, Inc., a 50/50 joint venture of General Electric Company and PPG Industries. New AZDEL Rail-Lite composite is a low-pressure, thermoformable, lightweight composite sheet that exhibits excellent flame, smoke, toxicity, and heat-release properties. It has been designed to help deliver outstanding, robust performance in combination with reduced weight and enhanced safety for a broad range of interior components for the global rail industry. Interior rail structures formed with the new high-performance AZDEL Rail-Lite composite can now tap the added benefits that Schneller’s Indura GTform decorative laminate can help provide. These include enhanced 3D formability, outstanding durability and in-mold decorating capabilities, and excellent stain, solvent, and graffiti resistance. Like AZDEL Rail-Lite composite, Indura GTform decorative laminate also meets strict regulatory standards for low flame, smoke, and toxicity. Indura GTform decorative laminate – utilizing a tough, graffiti-resistant fluoropolymer surface layer – lends itself to many of the interior rail applications GE is targeting with AZDEL Rail-Lite composite. These include window masks, ceiling panels, seat backs, arm rests, tray tables, stow bins, luggage racks, valances, and partitions. The Schneller laminate can be customized to parts formed with GE’s new composite in virtually any color or pattern and offers a high degree of design freedom to improve interior aesthetics for both new and refurbished passenger rail cars. “AZDEL Rail-Lite composite and Indura GTform decorative laminate represents two materials technologies from two global industry leaders that may offer tremendous potential to rail industry OEMs,” said Benny David, global industry manager of Transportation Composites, GE Advanced Materials. “The potential of this new material for the interior rail sector may now be greatly multiplied by helping to give designers greater flexibility to create new high-performance, aesthetically pleasing components.” Matthew Miklos, general manager for Schneller’s Transportation Products Group concurs. “We have essentially thrown the door open to a wide range of application development possibilities through the greater design options the two materials technologies can help provide. These complementary materials may offer a potential solution to the interior rail segment that goes beyond other currently available products,” Miklos said.
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About: GE Advanced Materials
GE Advanced Materials is a world leader in providing materials solutions through engineering thermoplastics, silicone-based products and technology platforms, and fused quartz and ceramics. Among its businesses are:• Silicones, which includes GE Toshiba Silicones in the Pacific region and GE Bayer Silicones in Europe, offers silanes, specialty silicones, urethane additives, adhesives, sealants, resins, and elastomers for a variety of industries such as personal care, automotive, tire and rubber, construction, healthcare, electronics, household and institutional, agriculture, textiles, appliances, bedding and furnishings, foam control, and consumer (http://www.gesilicones.com/gesilicones/am1/en/home.jsp); • Plastics is a global plastics materials supplier and distributor, which serves customers in a variety of industries including aerospace, appliances, automotive, building and construction, data storage and optical media, medical, electrical and electronics devices, telecommunications, computers and peripheral devices, outdoor vehicles and devices, and packaging (http://www.geplastics.com/); • Quartz produces high purity materials for the semiconductor, fiber optic, lamp making and water purification industries. GE Quartz is a leading supplier of quartz materials to the semiconductor industry (http://www.gequartz.com/en/index.htm); Established in 1968, GE Advanced Materials’ Specialty Film & Sheet business is a leading supplier of high-performance engineering film and sheet products to the United States, Europe, Africa, India, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and operates a worldwide network of sales, research, manufacturing and technical services facilities. Today, GE Advanced Materials, Specialty Film & Sheet employs about 600 people, and manufactures engineering sheet and film products at 12 facilities in 9 countries worldwide. Recent investments:
• 2003 New Roofing Structures Line in Italy, Europe
• 2003 New Coating Lines in China & Malaysia, Pacific
• 2002 Acquisition of Plastech, China
• 2001 New Film Lines in USA and Europe
• 2001 Acquisition of Carboron, Malaysia
• 2000 Acquisition of Matraplast, Canada
• 2000 Acquisition of Nim Plastics, USA Products:
GE Advanced Materials offers a variety of film materials are to meet different type of applications such as graphic film, coated products, electrical & electronic products, and specialties. The key film materials available today include:
• Lexan* Polycarbonate film
• Ultem* film
• Lexan* SLX film
• Valox* film
• Lexan* Illuminex* film GE Advanced Materials’ sheet product line includes a wide range of structures from solid sheet, multi-wall sheet and corrugated sheet through to coated sheet and laminates and combinations of each of these. The key sheet materials available today include:
• Lexan* Polycarbonate sheet
• Lexan* Solar Control IR sheet
• Margard* coated sheet
• Lexgard* laminated sheet
• Ultem* sheet
• Lexan EXL* sheet GE Advanced Materials, Specialty Film & Sheet, serves customers in a variety of industries including aircraft, appliances, automotive, building and construction, business machines, electrical & lighting, furnishing, greenhouse, industrial roofing, medical, electrical and electronics devices, telecommunications and packaging. In January 2004, in line with GE Corporate’ new brand architecture, GE Advanced Materials has announced the change of GE Structured Products business naming to GE Advanced Materials, Specialty Film & Sheet. |
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